Trump Announces Doha Iran Talks, Tehran Denies Any
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- Trump announced US-Iran talks would take place Tuesday in Doha, posting on Truth Social that "IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING" and telling reporters the discussions would focus on "denuclearisation of Iran"
- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei publicly denied any negotiations were planned, stating there would be no talks "at any level" with the US "in the coming days"
- The United States plans to send envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to lead its delegation; Iran is separately sending a technical team to Qatar, which Baghaei said had "no relation" to American officials
- Despite the public denials, a senior Iranian official told Reuters a Doha meeting was expected Tuesday, reportedly focusing on Strait of Hormuz tensions, with US and Iranian technical teams holding separate meetings with Qatari and Pakistani mediators on Wednesday
- The conflicting messages come after weekend exchanges tested the four-month ceasefire: the US accused Iran of striking at least two commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran fired missiles and drones at US installations in Kuwait and Bahrain on Sunday
Why it matters: The contradictory messaging leaves the status of a four-month ceasefire unclear just days after both sides traded missile and drone strikes in the Strait of Hormuz. With Qatar and Pakistan positioned as mediators and a critical energy transit route on the agenda, a breakdown in talks would ripple across oil markets and the unresolved Hezbollah-Israel arrangement that Nabih Berri has already questioned.
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